Blue Moon Rising: A suspense thriller

by Lillian Francken

  Dan watched John closely and then turned to Albert for his reaction. “You saying what I think you’re saying?” Dan ased.

  “Maybe you’re right. This is the safest place for him. You can’t charge him with the evidence you have.”

  Dan’s eyes narrowed somewhat. He did not appreciate the reminder that he screwed up, but at the time Junior was not a suspect.

  “That doesn’t mean something else might not come up. I’ll read him Miranda until I’m blue in the face.”

  John shrugged. “Let the chips fall where they may. I want him safe for now.”

  Albert glanced up at John and shook his head. “I don’t advise this, John.”

  “I can’t afford to hire someone to watch him,” John turned to Dan. “How bad was it with the Ames boy?”

  Dan quickly glanced at the cellblock door and then turned back around to John. “You don’t want something like that happening to your boy.”

  John looked at Albert. “Then it’s settled.”

  Albert shook his head in disagreement. He walked over to the door and opened it. “This is totally against my advice,” he mumbled as he walked out and slammed the door behind him.

  “He does have a temper for such a little guy,” John said and then turned back to Dan.

  Dan pointed to Mac at the radio. “Mac here,” Dan said quickly as Mac looked up innocently, “will see to it that Junior is taken care of. If you want to see the boy, you are more than welcome to come by any time.”

  John shook his head while Dan took the key off the rack and walked over to the cellblock door.

  “Just remember, I didn’t lay a finger on him.”

  “You made your point,” John snapped.

  The two disappeared through the cellblock door as Mac picked up his magazine and continued to look at the pictures.

  * * *

  Dan was at the computer inputting information. As much as he liked law enforcement and being sheriff of Jefferson County, the reports that were never-ending were always a chore to do. But given that half the county board was in favor of disbanding the police force, he diligently worked on his reports so as not to give them cause to reconsider.

  Ester Cratchet, the owner of a local café, walked into the jail carrying a tray of food. Mac looked up while Ester pretended not to see him.

  “Morning, Sheriff,” Ester said holding up the tray. “Brought the prisoner his lunch.”

  Dan took a quick glance at Mac and then turned to Ester and smiled. When Mac made no attempt to get up, Dan got up and walked over to the key rack. He peeked under the lid that covered the plates.

  “Smells good, Ester,” Dan said politely.

  Dan tried to be polite. Under normal circumstances it would have been Mac who walked Ester into the cellblock. But Mac was making no attempt to get up. Dan figured it had something to do with what Billy Bob said earlier that morning.

  “Just chicken soup and a ham sandwich, same as I always bring them for lunch,” Ester responded, taking a quick look at Mac.

  Dan turned to Mac, who pretended to be busy at the radio. Dan just opened the door for Ester and followed her into the cellblock.

  Junior was still sitting on the bunk, rocking back and forth while mumbling to himself.

  “Hey, Junior, look what Ms. Cratchet brought you.”

  Junior did not look up. He just continued rocking back and forth while hitting his head on the brick wall.

  “Is he okay?” Ester asked with concern in her voice.

  “Yeah. He’s just not happy about being here,” was all Dan mustered up to say.

  Ester glanced around and stared at the walls that had years of dirt and grime built up.

  “Can you blame him?” she said. “Place needs a good cleaning.”

  Dan glanced around and appeared surprised for an instant. It was as if for the first time he saw the years of grime that had accumulated on the walls.

  “County doesn’t give me much for upkeep on the place,” Dan said as he turned back to Ester. “Maybe you know someone who could clean the place on a Saturday?” Dan hesitated a moment and then quickly added, “Reasonable, that is.”

  “Take more than a Saturday.”

  Dan opened the cell door. He took the tray from Ester and then set it on the table for Junior.

  “Junior, you enjoy. Ms. Cratchet here is the best cook west of the Mississippi.” Dan turned to Ester. “We’re lucky to have her.”

  Junior just continued to rock back and forth. Dan turned to Ester and smiled. “Not the sharpest tool in the shed.”

  “Poor boy. Is he the one who killed the Ames boy?” Ester asked.

  “Where did you get that notion?”

  “Everyone’s been talking about it.”

  “No. Junior didn’t do it. I’m almost positive of that. I just have him here to keep him safe.”

  “Whatever you say, Sheriff,” Ester said with a wink as if she would keep that secret.

  Dan was taken aback for a moment but did not really want to set the record straight. He looked at Ester. “I’ll have Mac bring over the dishes later.”

  Ester cleared her throat. “No need to bother. I can stop by on my way home this evening.”

  Dan closed the cell door. He locked it and then guided Ester back out of the cellblock. On his way out he took another look at the walls, a little embarrassed by all the grime and filth.

  CHAPTER 6

  Dan sat at his desk with his feet up reading the paper. Mac was busy talking to Conroy on the radio. Most days that was the extent of what the Sheriff’s duties entailed in Jefferson County.

  “Your wife called,” Mac relayed.

  “Is she in labor?” Conroy asked quickly.

  “She’s at the doctor’s office,” Mac laughed. “Did you forget something?”

  “Damn! Tell the Sheriff I’m going off duty for an hour.”

  Mac turned to Dan, who nodded in agreement. The door swung open suddenly. Dan turned and quickly took his feet off the desk and sat up.

  Charlie Ames entered the office with his son Jeffrey, who had to be all of sixteen. Charlie glanced around the room. He had never been in the Sheriff’s office before and wanted to make sure that Mac and Dan were the only ones in the room. He then pulled out a revolver and waved it around wildly. Jeffrey appeared as surprised to see the gun in his father’s hand as Mac and Dan.

  Charlie slurred his words but managed to get out, “I want the son-of-a-bitch who killed my boy.”

  Dan set the paper down slowly and then turned to Mac. He motioned for Mac not to move. Dan put his hands on the desk so they were in clear view while Mac pushed himself away from the radio and just stared up at Charlie, and waited. Jeffrey stepped back so he was up against the back wall.

  Dan slowly stood and edged his way toward the cellblock door.

  “Now, Charlie, you don’t want to do this.”

  “How do you know what I want to do?” he snapped, swaying while waving the gun wildly. “I want to see the bastard who done that to my boy,” he said, wiping away a tear.

  “We don’t have him yet.”

  Charlie looked menacingly around the room before turning the revolver back at Dan. Dan had the cellblock door blocked by then.

  “I heard you’re holding Junior Youngblood.”

  “Pa, I told.”

  “Shut up, boy!” Charlie snapped.

  Dan held up his hands and then motioned Jeffrey to be silent. Once Jeffrey settled down somewhat, Dan turned his attention back to Charlie.

  “He didn’t do it,” Dan said in a way that sounded sincere.

  “Then why you holding him?” Charlie argued.

  Dan turned to Mac and then Jeffrey. He motioned for them to stay put.

  “I have him in protective custody,” was all Dan said in his defense.

  “Don’t try to fancy-talk me.”

  “I’m not.” Dan hesitated a moment. “Junior’s father agreed, jail was the safest place for him until I can sort things out.”

&
nbsp; Charlie waved the revolver with one hand while the other hand reached in his pocket for a hankie and then he wiped away his tears.

  “I saw what that bastard did.”

  “I know how you feel,” Dan said, trying to sympathize with the grieving father.

  “How can you know? Have you ever lost a child?”

  “No.”

  Charlie shook his head. “It was awful.”

  Charlie continued waving the revolver and then, as if it was the first time he noticed the revolver in his hand, he tossed it onto the desk. Dan grabbed for Charlie. He quickly frisked him for more weapons and then turned Charlie around and got a whiff of his breath.

  “How much have you been drinking?” Dan asked.

  Dan let Charlie go. He picked up the gun and noticed the empty chambers. Jeffrey walked up to his father.

  “All I want to do is forget,” Charlie cried.

  Jeffrey turned to Dan. “You going to arrest him?”

  Dan shook his head. “You two go home. Charlie, your wife needs you.”

  Charlie’s face turned sad and pathetic at the mention of his wife.

  “Cassie blamed me. She wanted the boy to stay home so she could protect him from the world.”

  “Mothers are like that,” Dan said in Cassie’s defense.

  “I got him the job with Senator Maxwell,” Charlie’s voice quivered. “Thought I was doing right by the boy.”

  Dan turned to Mac. This was a new revelation. He turned back to Charlie.

  “How long was he working for the Senator?”

  “Richie and Junior both worked odd jobs for the Senator. They were both slow,” Charlie hesitated, a little embarrassed to admit to Richie’s mental capacity. “You know what I mean. The other boys used to pick on them.”

  “Did he work yesterday?” Dan asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Charlie turned to Jeffrey.

  Jeffrey quickly spoke up. “Yes, I dropped him off around eight.”

  “What’s a man to do?” Charlie asked.

  Dan patted Charlie on the back. He could see the man was grieving for a lost son. However, he had to keep in mind he still had Jeffrey to look out for, and spending time in jail would not put food on the table for his family.

  “You had no control over what happened. Right now you have to take care of Cassie and Jeffrey here. You let me worry about catching the bastard who did that to Richie.”

  “I want two minutes alone with him when you catch him.”

  Dan raised his eyebrows. “You know I can’t do that. He’ll be punished to the full extent of the law. I promise you that much.”

  “It don’t make me feel any better. Bible says an eye for an eye.”

  “We don’t live by those laws anymore. We’re civilized now.”

  Charlie broke down in sobs. “It ain’t natural what he done to my boy. No civilized person would do that. He should be made to suffer.”

  Dan turned to Jeffrey. “You make sure you drive him home.”

  Jeffrey nodded as Charlie walked dejectedly to the door with slumped shoulders. Charlie hesitated a moment and then walked out.

  As the door closed shut, it quickly opened again and Martha Witherspoon walked in carrying a paper bag. Martha walked over to Dan’s desk and dumped broken glass onto the newspaper lying there.

  Martha’s face had fine crows-feet lines more noticeable in the corners of her mouth and eyes. Her jet-black hair was pulled back in an unattractive bun that added years to an already weather-beaten face. She had on a floral housedress that emphasized her overweight frame. Martha’s eyes were wild with anger.

  “I want that little Joey McDuffy locked up!” she snapped.

  Dan stared at the broken glass on his desk and then up at Martha.

  “He’s only eleven.”

  “That little tyrant has been terrorizing me for weeks now.”

  Dan walked up to Martha and took hold of her arm. Martha just looked up at Dan with helpless eyes that fluttered for a moment. You could tell she was mesmerized by the man in uniform who touched her just then.

  “Now Martha, you know Joey’s the best paperboy we’ve had in years.”

  “I don’t care. This is the second window he’s broken now.”

  “Are you sure?” Dan asked.

  Martha appeared startled that Dan would question her. They had been neighbors for years and Kay was always the go-to-person when something was needed at the church circle.

  “As sure as I can be,” Martha finally snapped. “I found the window broken soon after he delivered the paper. Both times.”

  “Have you had trouble with any of the other kids in the neighborhood?”

  Martha looked up at Dan and thought a moment. “There was only the Miller boy. But that was a few weeks ago.”

  “Right about the time your windows started getting broken?”

  Dan knew the Miller family well. They had a way of getting even with you if you called them out on anything. It went way back to when Dan was in high school with Clay Miller. For some reason the family motto was “We don’t get mad, we get even.” Dan avoided any confrontation with the family for that particular reason.

  Martha looked up at Dan with a look of surprise. It was as if a light bulb went off. In fact it made more sense that it was the Miller boy instead of Joey.

  “I just figured it was Joey doing it because I asked him to put the paper in the paper holder under the mailbox,” Martha said, smiling shyly up at Dan. “I don’t bend so well anymore.”

  Dan caught Mac with a smirk on his face and gave him a quick frown. It boggled Dan’s mind that all the women who seemed to be pursuing him were at least fifteen years his senior. His plan was not to become some woman’s boy toy, at least not yet. Dan turned back to Martha.

  “Has he been putting the papers there?” Dan asked.

  Martha mashed her eyes up at Dan. “Why yes,” she said finally. “And to think I accused that poor boy of all this trouble.”

  “It was an honest mistake,” Dan argued.

  “You’re so good at what you do.”

  Dan shrugged his shoulders. “I wouldn’t say that. On my way home tonight I’ll take a spin by the Millers and have a talk with the boy.”

  Mac tried not to laugh, but the whole situation with Martha had become a joke around the office. She and Mabel Wilcox had been pursuing Dan with a passion the last six months, and if it were not for those two they might have had to lay off one of the officers because of lack of work.

  “Did Kelly tell you I dropped off another tuna casserole?”

  Dan cleared his throat nervously. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mac snickering. He desperately tried to gain his composure before he too started to laugh.

  “Yes. You shouldn’t be going through the trouble.”

  “Why, Sheriff, it’s no trouble. It’s a pleasure cooking for you.” She looked up at Dan and smiled. “You spend long hours protecting us. It’s the least I can do.”

  Dan walked over to the hat rack. He grabbed his hat and then hurried over to the door.

  “That reminds me,” he said quickly. “I’m late for a meeting with the medical examiner.”

  Martha just stared at Dan admiringly while he rushed out the door. Mac quickly busied himself with the radio so Martha wouldn’t find an excuse to sit and wait for Dan to return.

  CHAPTER 7

  Dan walked into the medical examiner’s lab. Nancy stood at the far end of the room near the examining table. The overhead light illuminated the table. Nancy turned and looked surprised to see Dan.

  “Who let you in?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face.

  “No one, the door was open,” Dan said.

  “You can’t be here.”

  “Why?” Dan asked.

  Nancy motioned to the corpse on the table. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Chambers always discussed the case while he worked.”

  “I’m not Chambers and maybe that’s why he’s no l
onger here.”

  Dan looked at Nancy a moment and then finally responded. “We both know why Chambers is no longer the medical examiner and it had nothing to do with me sitting in on examinations.” Dan hesitated for a moment. “Besides, you called to say that you wanted to talk to me. I would have thought you were done by now.”

  Dan glanced at the clock on the wall and then turned back to Nancy.

  “Something came up, and I called only to set up a meeting with you, preferably tomorrow.”

  Dan took a step closer to the examining table. A sheet covered the lower half of the corpse.

  “What did you find so far?” Dan asked, disregarding what she had just said.

  Nancy shook her head and then turned to the table. “The body was unusually clean considering where it was dumped except for a few minute fibers under one fingernail.”

  Nancy picked up the slide tray. “And I found this animal hair between two toes that the assailant missed.”

  “Maybe it came from where we found the body,” Dan added.

  “No. I doubt that. There was no indication any animal was near the body. I’m not sure, but I think it’s from a black bear.”

  Dan looked puzzled. “When will you know for sure,” he asked quickly.

  “Later.”

  “If it was a black bear, all I need to do now is find the fireplace it’s lying in front of,” Dan joked. “What was the cause of death?”

  “The more he struggled the tighter the rope got around his neck until finally he died of Asphyxiation.”

  “With all those cuts?”

  “They were superficial. There was only one that could have been fatal, but he was already dead when he sustained it.”

  “Are you saying what I think you are saying?”

  “Yeah, the person watched him struggle until he died and then stabbed him to make sure he was dead.”

  “What kind of person does that to a fellow human being?”

  “A very sick person,” Nancy said. She rolled her eyes as she approached the tray with instruments. “You should see some of the bodies I’ve worked on.” Nancy hesitated a moment as she turned back to Dan and added. “I sent some tissue samples down for DNA.”